<img src='image_speaker/s5.png'><BR>
<p><strong>ABOUT THE SPEAKER: MR FANG KOH LOOK</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>POSITION, COMPANY<br /></strong>Founder and Exec Chairman, Absolute Kinetics Consultancy Pte Ltd (AKC). At AKC, Mr. Fang is responsible for overall Company strategies and directions. He further oversees its people development, new product/service creations and finance.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>ORIGIN<br /></strong>Mr. Fang hailed from a small town, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. His parents were farmers who received little or no education. Since childhood, Mr. Fang saw his parents toiled at the rubber plantation. Lives as farmers were hard. Income was at times, at the mercy of the weather and farm pests. The hours were long and every cent earned was through perspiration. His parents bravely raised ten children and Mr. Fang was the number ninth child.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>EDUCATION<br /></strong>Seeing how his parents worked from humble beginnings, Mr. Fang discovered that education was the way out of poverty. This discovery further strengthened his belief and desire to excel. Education was the key and after topping in his cohort as Lower Secondary School student in his village, he asked permission from his mother, that was, to study in Singapore. Reluctantly, his mother gave her blessings.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE,&nbsp; A MERITOCRATIC COUNTRY<br /></strong>In December 1984, the young teen Mr. Fang arrived at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore as a foreign student. He had no relatives here and his English comprehension was deplorable. He could hardly converse in English. Undeterred, he studied in Mayflower Secondary School and subsequently, Anderson Junior College.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>KAMPONG BOY AND FARMER'S SON WHO RECEIVED TERTIARY EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE<br /></strong>Mr Fang obtained a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Engineering from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 1993.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>CAREER, 1993 to 2001<br /></strong>Prior to setting up AKC, Mr. Fang worked as an Engineer in private practice. Then the 1997 crisis came. Jobs market was depressive. The 1997 crisis made Mr. Fang realize that he needed to acquire new skills/knowledge to stay marketable or employable. In 1998, Mr. Fang read at National University of Singapore (NUS) and attained a Master of Science (in Safety, Health &amp; Environmental Technology). After his postgraduate studies, Mr. Fang worked as Consultant and advised Companies on Management Systems.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>2001. THE SETTING UP COMPANY, AKC<br /></strong>Modestly operating from a small office, Mr. Fang started the company in April 2001, doing ISO and Safety Systems, Consultancy and audits. He was the solitary employee at that time, and the company only owned one notebook and a printer as its hardware/property. As the sole bread winner, he had to undertake the mammoth responsibility of ensuring that his family was well nourished and cared for. He was constantly driven by hunger and he reminded himself that he must bring home food no matter what it takes. He did bring home food. And In the early years of AKC, Mr. Fang met clients who gave him projects. And from the opportunities given, Mr. Fang grew and diversified AKC&rsquo;s businesses.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>FAST FORWARD AND AKC IN 2013<br /></strong>Fast forward twelve years on, the Company has since grown into diverse entities with business spanning Training, Medical Services and Telecommunication Prepaid Products Distribution. Currently, AKC employs over 100 full time employees. The turnover for FY 2012 was about S$70 Millions and the company has been consistently profitable in recent years. AKC has served about 15000 corporate clients.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>AKC IS A LOCAL SME. WE BELIEVE IN FAIR EMPLOYMENT<br /></strong>Being a SME in Singapore is tough.<br />We are an island with no significant natural resources.<br />The only resource Singapore could depend on is Human/People.
Our market is small and we are very vulnerable to external influences.<br />Any global or regional down turn will impact us seriously.<br />Cost of wages, costs of inflation and day to day operation can be frightening.<br />The tasks could be uphill.<br />However, Mr Fang believes that local SME can still have their skies/pie if they believe in some golden rules.<br />Hope is always alive, in AKC.<br />The challenge is to identify your niche areas and be fully aware of one's strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats.<br />SME should adopt fair and responsible employment practices.<br />It makes business sense.<br />Companies should further take note that people are the greatest assets of Company.<br />The potential of people can be maximized if employers treat people fairly and responsibly.<br />Companies need to embrace inclusiveness in employing people.<br />Local SMEs can still thrive and grow if they take the learning seriously and adopt the right approach.<br />AKC for one, is one such sample.<br />(..More to be shared in talk/speech)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES<br /></strong>Mr Fang is a Fellow, Institution of Engineers of Singapore (FIES) and he has served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Engineering Faculty of National University of Singapore, on Safety, Health and Environmental management areas.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>GREATEST JOY<br /></strong>Mr Fang&rsquo;s greatest joy is his family, consisting of himself, three sons and wife. Mr Fang pride himself as a Singaporean.</p>